AustinBike

There is a whole category of tool kits that fit into bottle cages. Stuff like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GFDS39S/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07GFDS39S&pd_rd_w=QEXqX&pf_rd_p=f0dedbe2-13c8-4136-a746-4398ed93cf0f&pd_rd_wg=6k195&pf_rd_r=7AFH8RWK1969K1C4BJ5D&pd_rd_r=19b6f435-24bd-11e9-a6ca-87394bc783d5 Basically, when you ride you have multiple choices: Bottle cages - but things fly out Under seat - can get muddy, gets in the way of droppers On frame - either in a bag or just strapped Jersey pocket - smaller items can fall out Belt - space limited Waist pack - good for small rides Full pack - good for large rides For me the answer to all of this is that I need to do a good assessment of what actually needs to be carried and how safe I feel with each of the options. Urban riding is bottles in cages, pump on frame, tools in seat pack, phone in pocket and no keys. Long rides are everything in the camelback. It is the intermediate rides (mostly WC on the singlesepeed) where I need to determine the optimal cargo configuration.

Turns out there is a key clip in there just like on my osprey, so the keys would not fall out. Runners swear by it, might try it at Walnut a few times.

My wife has a runner's belt that she no longer uses. The pockets are not zip pockets and I am not sure I am comfortable with my keys being in something that does not zip. Do you have zippers on yours or is it just a foldover that supposedly keeps things in place?

Found this while researching: http://backcountryresearch.com If you want minimalist, this is it. A friend from San Antonio was using one on his Transition and he really liked it.

You also can't spell hematoma without "me". Which is why I son't spell much. RPR would be great if it were not so far away. Maybe this weekend.

Generally only water. Skratch for the EB and the JF100, but I end up having very little of it in relative terms. Eat a lot of bacon and you get a lot of what you need.

Yes, don't ride WC this week. There are streets, there are bars, an R&I does not have to be at Walnut....

This is a great addition. With the bridge out I had been riding a street bike over the rocks, mud and culverts. Even with the heavy rains in the fall the path was always dry.

OK, I'm gonna share my favorite little secret (legal) feature in that area. Just north of Steck there is a sidewalk and underpass that lets you go from Shoal Creek to the Mopac frontage road. If you are heading south on the weekend when the pickle is closed you can shoot all the way down the frontage road on the really wide and side sidewalk, then duck into the Strayer university parking lot, shoot through the underpass and make your way back downtown on Shoal Creek. Someone showed me this a couple months ago and it is great, no more dealing with the traffic and intersection at Steck and Mopac.

Not using one, but some of the people I ride with like them. I'll be following this thread. This one interests me: https://www.jensonusa.com/Dakine-Hot-Laps-2L-Field-Camo-One-Size?pt_source=googleads&pt_medium=cpc&pt_campaign=shopping_us&pt_keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMDiBRDNARIsACKP1FGtCOLLskPEp0H8VwAVSCYuaOaTmMoGuH335RwcD717cEGb4g6TGD8aAhBCEALw_wcB I'd like something small for riding walnut. I have a dropper on the singlespeed I use there, so a saddle pack does not work well. Only need one bottle so I do not need a full pack. Just need some small tools, a tube and somewhere to stash a phone and keys.

Went to WC to scope out things. Worse than I thought. Point 6 was a mess and not rideable. Some of the others were rideable but instead of getting into a discussion of what you might be able to ride I recommend giving it some time to dry out this week.

Yes, it will be interesting to see scooter bros in court trying to argue "it wasn't me" while they ride on a vehicle with a GPS that tracks their every move.

Anderson store is gutted, literally close to nothing left.

And speaking of scooters and Darwin: https://www.statesman.com/news/20190125/austin-bank-robber-gets-caught-after-making-getaway-on-scooter-police-say

Yeah, both of these are better options than a tile because they hide in the bike and provide GPS. The biggest holdback on tile is that you have to be nearby another tile device and because they are not as prevalent, it could be months before that happens (or if it happens at all). $150 seems like a cheap price if you lived in a city and were worried about having your bike nicked. For me, I use a $300 urban single speed for all of my city riding, that seems to be a slightly more expensive option, but id greatly decreases the probability of theft. On the car I use a big lock or two that would be obvious. Mine are locked as well at home, but if you break into a garage, you're going to have unlimited access to bikes with all of the tools in the garage, so my locks are lighter, mostly to keep people from easily wheeling it away. A determined thief will have it, no questions asked. If insurance covers it, I might be more interested in a new one anyway 😉

Yeah, I tried the mini-bleed. It worked for a bit. I have a big bottle of oil coming this weekend and I am going to try all of the tricks together.

Found this on our bookshelf. Circa 1995 or so.

After last night's R&I my brakes were squishy again. Part of the problem (I am guessing) is that when I got the bleed kit it had a small bottle of oil so I have been very careful in how much I pump in. Went on Amazon last night after the ride and bought a liter of the stuff. Will be here this weekend. Gonna totally over pump the fluid through and see if there is something in my process or in my tubes that was creating the problem. If that does not work it may be time to take it to a professional. But I am so far down the rabbit hole on this that I want to leave that for the last resort.

Some of the reports were based on riding it fully yesterday 😉

Looks like the rain is staying away until later in the evening (if at all). Please steer clear of Mark's Art, the down and up just north of it, Windy loop and the main creek crossing.

Do you seal it back up when you zip tie the lever? Assuming so....

This is why I posted it - looking for people's input

Good suggestions on the XTR, since I hang my bikes vertically anyway, maybe I will try that this afternoon. The good news is that it was totally rideable vs. last week when I had to pump it 9-10 times before it would hold.

...my brakes. I have XTR brakes on my singlespeed and I decided that now is the time to learn to bleed them myself. The good news is that the process is relatively simple for Shimano (SLX, XT and XTR) branches, but there are still a couple lingering questions that I need help on. First, after I did it the first time, everything felt great when I finished the job, but 20 minutes later it felt squishy again. I believe that this was because I did not pump them enough before closing them up. When I opened them and put the cup back on (with a little fluid) I pumped about 100 times and I saw a few small bubbles come out. After that they were more consistent but still a little soft. Totally rideable now, but not as tight as the front (which did not need bleeding.) I was wondering, because of the bend in the hydraulic cable, do I need to take the brake off of the handlebar and straighten out the cable? Do I have some air trapped somewhere down the tube? Second, the Shimano fluid seems pretty expensive. I'm willing to pay more for a better solution, but come on, it's oil. Is there a cost-effective alternative? If I do go with an alternative, should I flush all of the Shimano fluid out first? I'll post up a pictorial of how to flush the brakes on my site later this week.

And we have a route that bypasses the few spots that need a little more rest.